MODIS/Aqua Atmospheric Profiles with 5-Kilometer Resolution

Global data from NASA's Aqua satellite provides atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles at 20 vertical levels, total water vapor, ozone content, and three stability indices. Parameters are derived from infrared retrievals at a 5-kilometer pixel resolution for both daytime and nighttime conditions over clear scenes. This Level 2 swath product is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing atmospheric stability for severe weather prediction using the Total Totals (TT), Lifted Index (LI), and K index (K).
• Studying vertical temperature and moisture profiles across 20 levels to understand thermodynamic structure.
• Estimating total tropospheric column water vapor for hydrological and climate research.
• Mapping total-column ozone content to monitor atmospheric chemistry and air quality.
• Investigating surface and boundary layer temperature parameters like skin temperature and dew point.

Strengths

• Provides data at a high spatial resolution of 5 kilometers per pixel.
• Includes profiles across 20 vertical atmospheric levels for detailed vertical analysis.
• Delivers multiple derived parameters including three distinct atmospheric stability indices.
• Offers global coverage from the MODIS instrument on the Aqua satellite platform.

Limitations

• Data availability is conditional, requiring at least 9 cloud-free Field Of Views for retrieval.
• Specific row counts, dataset size, and exact column names are not provided across any source.
• Sources conflict on license details, with one specifying 'other-license-specified' and others listing none.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Satellite remote sensing via the MODIS instrument aboard the Aqua spacecraft.

Time Range

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Freshness

2026-03-12 23:46:43.893193

Geography

Global